The Transfer Tavern

Southampton must re-sign £22.5m-rated midfielder if they avoid relegation this season

The Southampton fans are feeling positive in the Transfer Tavern now that they have finally replaced Mauricio Pellegrino this week, but they are concerned that their club might have left it too late to transform their fortunes.

It’s been a busy week on the south-coast for Southampton Football Club as they waved goodbye to one of the most uninspiring managers in recent Premier League history and welcomed Mark Hughes to the club – a manager who could be considered something of a top-flight veteran. Indeed, Hughes has managed 5 Premier League sides prior to undertaking his new role at Saint Mary’s, and the supporters are hoping that he can use all his experience to guide their side away from the bottom-three in the remaining weeks of the season.

Considering the extent of Southampton’s decline this season, there’s no doubt that Hughes has a huge task on his hands with very little time in which to instigate a significant change. Southampton’s run-in hardly makes for encouraging reading either, as they have Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal all still to play. Hughes’ task will certainly not be an easy one, but if he does manage to lead his side to safety this season then the club will need to reinvest in new talent this summer to ensure there is no repeat of their shortcomings this season during the next campaign.

Southampton need strengthening in various positions, but this season has taught the club that they are severely lacking a creative spark in midfield, so they should prioritise the signing of a number ten to begin fixing that problem. With that being said, The Saints should make an audacious bid to re-sign Adam Lallana (valued at £22.5 million by Transfermarkt) from Liverpool.

Lallana left Southampton for Liverpool in 2014, but his career at the club has slowly begun to decline this season due to a multitude of injury problems which have restricted him to just 3 starts in all-competitions. His inability to stay fit is undoubtedly a concern for his manager Jurgen Klopp, and his lengthy absence will certainly tarnish his chances of working his way back into the first-team next season.

It would be in Lallana’s best interests to pursue a transfer away from the club where he is likely to have more first-team opportunities whereby he can rebuild his fitness and prove himself in the top-flight once again. Southampton represents the perfect destination for him if he decides to go down this route and take a loan move away from the club, or even a permanent transfer if a club is willing to take a chance on him despite his questionable fitness record of late.

He knows the club well and would instantly be admired by the supporters due to his history on the south-coast, so Southampton should seriously re-consider bringing him back to the club where he started his career this summer, providing they retain their Premier League status of course.